Providing Great Service – The Secret to Business Success

Provide excellent service and improve your chances of success

Great service is the foundation of every successful business. Without it, you cannot expect your freelancing business to thrive and flourish, especially in this tough economy. Realizing this fact, do you know how you can provide excellent service to your customers? If you need some help along this line, here are some tips that may help you deliver your best to your customers at all times.

Communicate. Responding to your clients' needs in a timely manner will help you earn your clients' respect and loyalty. So, try to respond to their requests as soon as possible. If you can't, then try to acknowledge their emails, phone calls or voicemails right away. Update clients on the status of their projects. There's no point in putting it off. In addition, procrastinating and keeping your clients in the dark will give you an unprofessional image and will eventually turn a lot of clients off. Are you prepared to see them go?

Listen. Take time to understand what your clients want. If there is anything that seems unclear, don't hesitate to ask questions. Remember, it is better to spend some extra time to know what the client wants rather than deliver something that is different from what he really needs.

Be prepared to go the extra mile. Providing quality service over and above what your clients expect from you will definitely work in your favor. This will keep them happy and loyal to your business for years to come.

Be true to your words. Clients value freelancing professionals who keep their promises. If you cannot send the deliverables on time due to some unforeseen events, then let your clients know about it well before the appointed deadline – not after. Remember, your credibility and reputation is what's at stake here. Are you willing to lose it?

Keep on top of your game. You owe your clients the best service you can give so make sure you know everything you need to know by continuously honing your skills.

Fix it. If you make a mistake, be prepared to admit it and do everything you can to fix the damage that has been done.

Ask for feedbacks. You should make it a point to ask what the client thinks about your work. This can help you gauge your own performance and help you provide excellent service in the future.

Keep in touch. Don't let past clients forget about you and your work. Make them remember you by keeping in touch. Remember, great customer service lasts for the life of the customer, not just the duration of the project.